JP2023031983A - Liquid crystal device and electronic instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

A liquid crystal device capable of suppressing stains and unevenness due to ionic impurities is provided.
A liquid crystal device (100) includes a pixel electrode (9a) as a first electrode to which a potential for driving liquid crystal molecules (50a) forming a liquid crystal is applied, and a counter electrode (21) as a second electrode. , a first portion provided in the peripheral region F outside the display region E and corresponding to a side extending along the X-axis direction of the +X direction, which is the first direction, and a second direction intersecting the first direction and a third electrode having a second portion corresponding to the side extending along the +Y direction, and the liquid crystal molecules 50a, when no potential is applied to the pixel electrode 9a and the counter electrode 21, the third electrode The third electrode 108 is aligned along the alignment direction Y1, which is the third direction that intersects the first direction and the second direction, and the third electrode 108 is positioned in the display region E in the intersection region F1 between the first portion 108a and the second portion 108b. side is cut off.
[Selection drawing] Fig. 1

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal device and an electronic device having the liquid crystal device.

When light is incident on a liquid crystal device, various ionic impurities may be generated by photochemical reactions between the incident light and the liquid crystal material or alignment layers. In addition, ionic impurities may be mixed into the liquid crystal layer from materials and devices used in the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal device.

If the ionic impurities in the liquid crystal layer diffuse into the display region or partially aggregate due to the driving or heat of the liquid crystal device, the display may be perceived as, for example, spots or unevenness, resulting in deterioration of display characteristics. Are known.

In order to improve problems caused by such ionic impurities, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses that a first electrode and a second electrode are provided between a display region and a sealing material, and the first electrode and the second electrode are provided. A technique is described in which ionic impurities in the liquid crystal layer are drawn from the display area to the peripheral area and collected by applying an AC signal to and from the display area.

JP 2018-124310 A

The ionic impurities collected in the peripheral area diffuse again into the display area when the power supply to the liquid crystal device is turned off, causing stains and unevenness. Regarding this point, Patent Document 1 states that the re-diffusion of ionic impurities into the display area when power is turned off is suppressed by an inorganic alignment film that covers the first electrode and the second electrode.
However, there is room for improvement in the technique of Patent Document 1, and further improvement in display characteristics is required. In other words, there is a demand for a liquid crystal device capable of suppressing stains and unevenness caused by ionic impurities.

A liquid crystal device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first electrode and a second electrode provided in a display region to which a potential for driving liquid crystal is applied; a third electrode having a first portion extending along the first direction and a second portion extending along a second direction crossing the first direction, wherein the liquid crystal comprises the first electrode and the When no potential is applied to the second electrode, the third electrode is oriented along a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction, and the third electrode includes the first portion and the second portion. , the display area side is cut.

A liquid crystal device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first electrode and a second electrode provided in a display region to which a potential for driving liquid crystal is applied; a third electrode having a first portion extending along the first direction and a second portion extending along a second direction crossing the first direction, wherein the liquid crystal comprises the first electrode and the When no potential is applied to the second electrodes, the A distance between a first area and the display area along a certain corner is wider than a distance between the display area and a second area other than the first area in the first portion.

A liquid crystal device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first electrode and a second electrode provided in a display region and to which a potential for driving liquid crystal is applied; a third electrode provided along one side; and a fourth electrode provided along a second side of the display region that intersects the first side in a region outside the display region; is a third direction that intersects the first direction in which the first side extends and the second direction in which the second side extends when no potential is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode and a corner portion of the display region sandwiched between the first side and the second side is a corner portion in the third direction in the display region, the third electrode is The fourth electrode is provided so as not to overlap a second extension line extending from the second side, and the fourth electrode is provided so as not to overlap a first extension line extending from the first side.

An electronic device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the liquid crystal device described above.

1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a liquid crystal device according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line H-H' of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is an equivalent circuit diagram showing the electrical configuration of the liquid crystal device; FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a formation state of an inorganic alignment layer and an alignment state of liquid crystal molecules; Explanatory drawing which shows the behavior of a liquid crystal molecule. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the behavior of ionic impurities when the liquid crystal device is energized; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the behavior of ionic impurities when power supply to the liquid crystal device is turned off; FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the behavior of ionic impurities in a liquid crystal device according to a comparative example when electricity is applied; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the behavior of ionic impurities when power is turned off in a liquid crystal device according to a comparative example; FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a liquid crystal device according to a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a liquid crystal device according to a third embodiment; 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a projection display device as an electronic device according to a fourth embodiment; FIG.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Here, in each of the following figures, the scale of each member is different from the actual scale in order to make each member recognizable. In each figure below, XYZ axes are used as mutually orthogonal coordinate axes as necessary, and in each figure, the direction indicated by each arrow along the axis is the + direction, and the direction opposite to the + direction is - direction. Note that the +X direction is called the first direction, and the +Y direction is called the second direction. In addition, the +Z direction is sometimes referred to as upward and the −Z direction is referred to as downward, and viewing from the +Z direction is referred to as planar view or planar view. Furthermore, in the following description, for example, with respect to a substrate, the description “on the substrate” refers to the case of being arranged in contact with the substrate, the case of being arranged on the substrate via another structure, Alternatively, it represents either a case where a part is arranged in contact with the substrate and a part is arranged via another structure.

1. Embodiment 1
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the liquid crystal device viewed from the opposing substrate side.
In this embodiment, as the liquid crystal device 100, an active driving liquid crystal device 100 including a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) as a pixel switching element for each pixel will be described as an example. The liquid crystal device 100 can be suitably used, for example, as a light modulation device in a projection display device 1000 as an electronic device, which will be described later.

1.1. Overview of Liquid Crystal Device As shown in FIG. 1, a liquid crystal device 100 includes an element substrate 10 and a counter substrate 20 . It should be noted that, inside the outer edge of the opposing substrate 20 indicated by broken lines, all of the configurations indicated by solid lines are provided between the opposing substrate 20 and the element substrate 10 .
The sealing material 60 is provided in a frame shape along the outer edge of the opposing substrate 20 between the opposing substrate 20 and the element substrate 10 . The sealing material 60 is an adhesive made of photocurable resin, thermosetting resin, or the like, and includes a gap material such as glass fiber or glass beads for setting the distance between the two substrates to a predetermined value.

The display area E has pixels P arranged in a matrix. The shape of the display area E is a rectangle, and in FIG. 1, the long sides are arranged along the X-axis and the short sides are arranged along the Y-axis.
Between the element substrate 10 and the opposing substrate 20, a liquid crystal layer 50, which will be described later, is arranged. The first alignment layer 18 is arranged on the surface of the element substrate 10 on the side of the liquid crystal layer 50 , and the second alignment layer 22 is arranged on the surface of the counter substrate 20 on the side of the liquid crystal layer 50 .

An area outside the display area E and between the display area E and the sealing material 60 is a peripheral area F shielded from light. The peripheral area F is shielded from light by a parting portion 24 (to be described later) and a light shielding member (not shown), and a scanning line driving circuit (not shown) is arranged.
A data line driving circuit 101 and a plurality of external terminals 104 are arranged in a portion of the element substrate 10 outside the sealing material 60 that protrudes downward in the drawing from the opposing substrate 20 .
Inter-substrate conducting portions 106 for establishing electrical continuity between the element substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 are arranged at positions overlapping the four corners of the counter substrate 20 .

The first alignment layer 18 and the second alignment layer 22 include oblique deposition layers formed by oblique deposition of an inorganic material such as silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, and magnesium oxide. The oblique deposition direction of the first alignment layer 18 is the direction indicated by the arrow Y2 on the display surface of the display area E on the element substrate 10 side, and is the direction that intersects the Y axis at an angle β from the upper right to the lower left of the drawing. is the direction indicated by the arrow Y1 on the display surface of the display area E on the counter substrate 20 side, and is the direction that intersects the Y axis at an angle α from the lower left to the upper right in the drawing. The angles α and β are, for example, 45 degrees. Note that the oblique vapor deposition direction shown in FIG. 1 is the direction when the liquid crystal device 100 is viewed from the counter substrate 20 side. Also, the angles α and β are not limited to the angles shown in FIG. The direction indicated by arrow Y1 is an example of the third direction.

When an electric field is applied to the liquid crystal layer 50, liquid crystal molecules 50a forming the liquid crystal described later behave or vibrate, and oblique flows indicated by arrows Y1 and Y2 are generated in the liquid crystal layer 50. FIG. If the liquid crystal layer 50 contains negative or positive ionic impurities, the ionic impurities move toward the corners C1 and C2 of the display area E due to the flow in the liquid crystal layer 50. , aggregate around the corners C1 and C2. Here, the reason why the ionic impurities agglomerate at the corners C1 and C2 of the display area E is that the mobility of the ionic impurities in the peripheral area F shielded from light is different from the movement of the display area E irradiated with light. This is probably because the ionic impurities tend to stagnate at the corners C1 and C2 before the peripheral region F because the temperature is lower than the degree.

Then, when the ionic impurities aggregate at the corners C1 and C2 and the insulation resistance of the liquid crystal layer 50 decreases in the pixels P located at the corners C1 and C2, the driving potential of the pixels P decreases. It is observed as display unevenness and spots.

The third electrode 108 is provided so as to surround the periphery of the display area E in the peripheral area F. As shown in FIG. The third electrode 108 is electrically connected to the external terminal 104 and supplied with a DC potential from the outside. The third electrode 108 functions as an ion trap electrode that attracts and traps ionic impurities to the third electrode 108 by an electric field generated by the DC potential.

For example, when a positive potential higher than a common potential, which will be described later, is applied as the DC potential, negative ionic impurities contained in the liquid crystal layer 50 are attracted to the third electrode 108, captured, and positively ionic. Impurities are kept away from the third electrode 108 . On the other hand, when a negative potential lower than the common potential is applied as the DC potential, the positive ionic impurities are attracted to and captured by the third electrode 108, and the negative ionic impurities are transferred to the third electrode 108. kept away from

The third electrode 108 has a first portion 108a corresponding to a side extending along the X-axis direction, which is the first direction, and a second portion 108a corresponding to a side extending along the Y-axis direction, which is the second direction. A third portion 108c is provided by cutting the portion 108b and the display region E side in the intersection region F1 between the first portion 108a and the second portion 108b.

The third portion 108c is part of the first portion 108a and the second portion 108b, and includes a first region 108a1 belonging to the first portion 108a and a third region 108b1 belonging to the second portion 108b.
A wide portion of the first portion 108a excluding the first region 108a1 is the second region 108a2. A wide portion of the second portion 108b excluding the third region 108b1 is the fourth region 108b2.

The third portion 108c is a portion corresponding to the corner portion C1 of the display area E in the first portion 108a and the second portion 108b. In the third electrode 108, the sides along the other three corners C2, C3, and C4 of the display area E are also notched like the corner C1.
Here, in the peripheral area F, the area sandwiched between the first extension line h1 extending from the long side of the display area E and the second extension line h2 extending from the short side of the display area E is the peripheral area F1. , the area sandwiched between the long side and the second extension line h2 is defined as a peripheral area F2, and the area sandwiched between the short side and the first extension line h1 is defined as a peripheral area F3. corresponds to

A boundary B1 on the display area E side between the third portion 108c and the first portion 108a of the third electrode 108, and a boundary B2 on the display area E side between the third portion 108c and the second portion 108b of the third electrode 108 are long. Neither the side boundary B1 nor the short side boundary B2 is located in the peripheral region F1. That is, in the notched portion of the third electrode 108, a boundary B1 on the long side of the display region E between the third portion 108c and the first portion 108a is provided in the peripheral region F2. A boundary B2 on the short side of the display area E with the second portion 108b is provided in the peripheral area F3.

The width w1 of the first area 108a1 of the first portion 108a is narrower than the width w2 of the second area 108a2 of the first portion 108a, and the distance s1 between the first area 108a1 and the display area E is indicated as the second area 108a2. It is wider than the space s2 with the area E. Note that the interval s3 is the interval between the vertex of the corner C1 of the display region E and the third portion 108c of the third electrode 108 in the direction along the arrow Y1, and the interval s3 is wider than the interval s1. . The width of the fourth region 108b2 of the second portion 108b is the same as the width w2 of the second region 108a2 of the first portion 108a, and the width of the third region 108b1 of the second portion 108b is the same as that of the first portion 108a. It is the same as the width w1 of the first region 108a1. Further, the distances between the third area 108b1 and the fourth area 108b2 of the second portion 108b and the display area E are also the same as the distances s1 and s2 of the first portion 108a.

In this way, since the space between the third portion 108c of the third electrode 108 and the corners C1 and C2 of the display area E is wide, the third portion 108c around the corners C1 and C2 of the display area is The effect of the generated electric field is weaker than the effect of the electric field generated in the first portion 108a. Therefore, the ionic impurities gathered around the corners C1 and C2 of the display area E are less likely to be attracted from the corners C1 and C2 to the third portion 108c.

In addition, since the space between the third portion 108c of the third electrode 108 and the corners C1 and C2 of the display area E is wide, the light is attracted to the third portion 108c of the third electrode 108 when the power supply is turned off. The captured ionic impurities first diffuse into the wide open portion between the third portion 108c and the display region E, and most of them remain in the wide open portion, so that the captured ionic impurities reach the display region E. The amount of diffusing ionic impurities can be reduced.
Therefore, re-diffusion of the ionic impurities into the display region E when the power supply is turned off can be reduced.

1.2. Outline of Cross-Sectional Structure of Liquid Crystal Device FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of the liquid crystal device along line HH' in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid crystal device 100 has an element substrate 10 and a counter substrate 20 bonded together by a sealing material 60 at their outer edges, and a space surrounded by the element substrate 10, the counter substrate 20, and the sealing material 60. It has a filled liquid crystal layer 50 .

The element substrate 10 includes, between the substrate 10w and the liquid crystal layer 50, a pixel electrode 9a having a light-transmitting property provided for each pixel P, a third electrode 108, and the pixel electrode 9a and the third electrode 108. and a first alignment layer 18 disposed over it. The pixel electrode 9a is an example of a first electrode.

The counter substrate 20 includes a parting portion 24 , an insulating layer 25 , a counter electrode 21 , and a second alignment layer 22 covering the counter electrode 21 between the substrate 20 w and the liquid crystal layer 50 . The counter electrode 21 is an example of a second electrode.

The parting portion 24 is a light-shielding layer made of a light-shielding material, surrounds the display region E in the peripheral region F, and separates the third electrode 108, the third portion 108c of the third electrode 108, and the display region E in plan view. It is provided at a wide empty portion between them, and at a position overlapping circuits arranged in the peripheral region F such as a scanning line driving circuit and an inspection circuit. The parting portion 24 shields the light L incident from the counter substrate 20 side, thereby preventing malfunction of the circuit.

The pixel electrode 9a and the counter electrode 21 are made of a transparent conductive material such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide). The substrate 10w and the substrate 20w are substrates having translucency, and for example, a glass substrate or a quartz substrate is used.
The liquid crystal layer 50 is made of nematic liquid crystal having negative dielectric anisotropy, for example. When no driving voltage is applied between the pixel electrode 9a and the counter electrode 21, that is, when no potential is applied to the pixel electrode 9a and the counter electrode 21, the liquid crystal molecules 50a forming the liquid crystal are , and the normal direction of the first alignment layer 18 and the second alignment layer 22 at a predetermined pre-tilt angle and aligned substantially perpendicularly (VA: Vertical Alignment). Further, polarizing elements (not shown) are arranged on the light incident side and the light emitting side of the liquid crystal device 100, respectively.

1.3. Overview of Pixel Circuit FIG. 3 is an equivalent circuit diagram showing the electrical configuration of the display area E. As shown in FIG.
In the display area E of the liquid crystal device 100, scanning lines 3, data lines 6, and capacitor lines 8 are arranged. Pixels P are located corresponding to intersections of scanning lines 3 and data lines 6 . The pixel P includes a pixel electrode 9 a , a TFT (thin film transistor) 30 and a capacitive element 16 . One electrode of the capacitive element 16 is electrically connected to the pixel electrode 9 a and the other electrode is electrically connected to the capacitance line 8 . A gate electrode of the TFT 30 is electrically connected to the scanning line 3, a source electrode is electrically connected to the data line 6, and a drain electrode is connected to the pixel electrode 9a.

Scanning signals from a scanning line driving circuit are supplied to the plurality of scanning lines 3 in a predetermined order. A plurality of pixels P electrically connected to the same scanning line 3 are simultaneously turned on or off by the same scanning signal.
Image signals are supplied in a predetermined order from the data line driving circuit 101 to the plurality of data lines 6, and the image signals are supplied to the pixel electrodes 9a of the pixels P selected by the scanning signals. The image signal is an analog voltage signal that drives the liquid crystal molecules 50a according to the gradation to be displayed. drive. In other words, a driving potential is applied to the pixel electrode 9a so as to have a potential difference with respect to the common potential supplied to the counter electrode 21 according to the gradation to be displayed. Note that the image signal may be a digital voltage signal.

1.4. Outline of Alignment Layer FIG. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a formation state of an inorganic alignment layer and an alignment state of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal device of FIG.
On the surfaces of the pixel electrode 9a and the counter electrode 21, a first alignment layer 18 and a second alignment layer 22 are formed by obliquely depositing silicon oxide by vacuum deposition, which is an example of physical vapor deposition. there is Specifically, the angle γ of the deposition direction with respect to the substrate surfaces 10s and 20s facing the liquid crystal layer 50 is about 45°. The vapor deposition directions viewed from the normal direction of the substrate surfaces 10s and 20s are the directions indicated by arrows Y1 and Y2 as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 4A, such oblique vapor deposition causes silicon oxide crystals to grow in a columnar shape on the substrate surfaces 10s and 20s in the vapor deposition direction. These columnar crystals are called columns 18a and 22a. The first alignment layer 18 is a collection of columns 18a and the second alignment layer 22 is a collection of columns 22a.
The angle δ of the columns 18a, 22a with respect to the substrate surfaces 10s, 20s need not necessarily match the angle γ of the deposition direction. The azimuth direction of the columns 18a and 22a viewed from the normal direction of the substrate surfaces 10s and 20s is the same as the vapor deposition direction indicated by the arrows Y1 and Y2 in FIG.

In FIG. 4A, the pretilt angle ρ of the liquid crystal molecules 50a is approximately 85° when no drive voltage is applied between the pixel electrode 9a and the counter electrode 21 and no voltage is applied. The pretilt direction of the liquid crystal molecules 50a seen from the normal direction of the substrate surfaces 10s and 20s, that is, the azimuth direction of the pretilt is the first alignment layer 18 and the second alignment layer 18 indicated by arrows Y1 and Y2 in FIG. It is the same as the deposition direction of layer 22 .

FIG. 4B is an explanatory diagram showing the behavior of liquid crystal molecules that make up the liquid crystal.
When a drive voltage is applied between the pixel electrode 9a and the counter electrode 21, the liquid crystal molecules 50a tilt in the pretilt azimuth direction, resulting in a high transmittance. return. In this way, when the liquid crystal layer 50 is driven, that is, the driving voltage is repeatedly turned on and off, the liquid crystal molecules 50a repeatedly tilt in the pretilt azimuth direction and return to the initial alignment state.

Such behavior of the liquid crystal molecules 50a causes flows in the directions indicated by arrows Y1 and Y2 in FIG. The ionic impurities in the liquid crystal layer 50 move along the flow in the liquid crystal layer 50 toward the corners C1 and C2 of the display area E and aggregate around the corners C1 and C2.

1.5. Overview of Behavior of Ionic Impurities Next, the behavior of ionic impurities when the liquid crystal device is energized and when the energization is off will be described.
FIG. 5A is an explanatory diagram showing the behavior of ionic impurities that are attracted to and captured by the third electrode when current is applied, and FIG. 5B shows the behavior of ionic impurities that re-diffuse into the display area when power is off. It is an explanatory view showing .

In FIG. 5A, the ionic impurities v move to the corners C1 and C2 of the display area E due to flows generated in the liquid crystal layer 50 indicated by arrows Y1 and Y2. The ionic impurities v that have moved to the corners C1 and C2 are affected by the electric field generated in the third electrode 108 . Then, as described above, when a positive potential is applied to the third electrode 108, negatively charged ionic impurities v are attracted to the third electrode 108 and captured.

The electric field generated in the third portion 108c of the third electrode 108 is indicated by arrows D1a and D2a, the electric field generated in the second region 108a2 of the first portion 108a is indicated by arrow D1b, and the electric field generated in the second region 108a2 on the opposite long side is indicated by arrow D1b. An arrow D2b indicates an electric field generated in the fourth region 108b2 of the second portion 108b, and an arrow D1c indicates an electric field generated in the fourth region 108b2 on the opposing short side. The electric fields D1a, D1b, D1c, D2a, D2b, and D2c all have the same strength.

The electric fields D1b and D1c generated in the first portion 108a of the third electrode 108 overlap the corner C1 of the display area E, but the electric field D1a generated in the third portion 108c does not overlap the corner C1. Therefore, in the corner C1 of the display area E, the influence of the electric field D1a is smaller than the influence of the electric fields D1b and D1c. Therefore, the ionic impurities v of the corner C1 are more attracted to the second region 108a2 of the first portion 108a and the fourth region 108b2 of the second portion 108b than to the third portion 108c and are captured. Similarly, at the corner C2, more ionic impurities v are attracted to the second region 108a2 of the first portion 108a and the fourth region 108b2 of the second portion 108b than to the third portion 108c.

When the energization is turned off, the electric fields D1a, D1b, and D1c of the third electrode 108 disappear as shown in FIG. 5B, so the ionic impurities v diffuse with time.
The ionic impurities v trapped in the second region 108a2 of the first portion 108a of the third electrode 108 and the fourth region 108b2 of the second portion 108b are trapped between the second region 108a2 of the first portion 108a and the display region E. and the peripheral area F between the display area E and the fourth area 108b2 of the second portion 108b. On the other hand, some of the ionic impurities v trapped in the third portion 108c are diffused into a wide open portion between the third portion 108c and the display region E where the third electrode 108 is notched. However, almost none of them spread to the display area E.

6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams showing the behavior of ionic impurities in a liquid crystal device according to a comparative example, and FIG. 6A is an explanation showing the behavior of ionic impurities that are attracted to and captured by peripheral electrodes during current flow. FIG. 6B is an explanatory diagram showing the behavior of ionic impurities re-diffusing into the display area when power is turned off.
In the liquid crystal device 500 according to the comparative example, the peripheral electrode 109, which is an ion trapping electrode, is not provided with a notched portion.
As shown in FIG. 6A, when the current is applied, the ionic impurities v move to the corners C1 and C2 of the display area E due to the flows generated in the liquid crystal layer 50 indicated by the arrows Y1 and Y2, as in the present embodiment. do.

The electric field G1a generated at the corner 109a of the peripheral electrode 109 overlaps with the corner C1 of the display region E, and the corner C1 is similarly affected by the electric fields G1a, G1b, and G1c. Therefore, the ionic impurities v at the corner C1 are attracted to the corner 109a of the peripheral electrode 109 and captured. Similarly, at corner C2, ionic impurities v are attracted to corner 109a of peripheral electrode 109 under the influence of electric fields G2a, G2b, and G2c and captured.

When the energization is turned off, the electric fields G1a, G1b, G1c, G2a, G2b, and G2c of the peripheral electrode 109 disappear as shown in FIG. 6B, so the ionic impurities v diffuse with time. Since the width of the peripheral region F between the peripheral electrode 109 and the display region E is narrow, the ionic impurities v trapped in the corner 109a of the peripheral electrode 109 go beyond the peripheral region F and reach the corner C1 of the display region E. , C2.

As described above, according to the liquid crystal device 100 of this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
The liquid crystal device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a pixel electrode 9a as a first electrode and a counter electrode 21 as a second electrode, which are provided in a display region E and to which a potential for driving liquid crystal molecules 50a constituting the liquid crystal is applied. , a first portion provided in the peripheral region F outside the display region E and corresponding to a side extending along the X-axis direction of the +X direction, which is the first direction, and a second direction intersecting the first direction and a third electrode having a second portion corresponding to the side extending along the +Y direction, and the liquid crystal molecules 50a, when no potential is applied to the pixel electrode 9a and the counter electrode 21, the third electrode The third electrode 108 is aligned along the alignment direction Y1, which is the third direction that intersects the first direction and the second direction, and the third electrode 108 is positioned in the display region E in the intersection region F1 between the first portion 108a and the second portion 108b. side is cut off.

According to this configuration, the third electrode 108 is cut on the display area E side in the intersection area F1 between the first portion 108a and the second portion 108b.
That is, by cutting the third electrode 108, the space between the third portion 108c of the third electrode 108 and the corners C1 and C2 of the display area E is wide. Therefore, in the corners C1 and C2 of the display area E, the influence of the electric fields D1a and D2a generated in the third portion 108c of the third electrode 108 is weakened, and the ionic impurities v are removed from the third portion 108c of the third electrode 108. less likely to be attracted to

Furthermore, when the energization is turned off, the ionic impurities v trapped in the third portion 108c of the third electrode 108 corresponding to the notched portion diffuse due to the disappearance of the electric fields D1a and D2a. Since there is a wide space between the third portion 108c of the third electrode 108 and the display region E, the ionic impurities v first enter the widely spaced peripheral region between the third portion 108c of the third electrode 108 and the display region E. Since it diffuses into F, the amount of ionic impurities v diffused into the display region E can be reduced.
Therefore, it is possible to reduce the re-diffusion of the ionic impurities v into the display region E when the power supply is turned off. Therefore, it is possible to provide the liquid crystal device 100 capable of suppressing deterioration of display characteristics.

In the liquid crystal device 100, the first portion 108a includes the first region 108a1 along the corner C1 in the alignment direction Y1, which is the third direction of the display region E, and the second region of the first portion 108a other than the first region 108a1. 108a2, and the width of the first region 108a1 is narrower than the width of the second region 108a2.
According to this configuration, by making the width w1 of the first region 108a1 narrower than the width w2 of the second region 108a2, the distance between the third portion 108c and the display region E is widened. and the display area E, the width of the peripheral area F does not widen, and the substrate size of the liquid crystal device 100 does not increase.

In the liquid crystal device 100, the second portion 108b includes a third region 108b1 along the corner C1 in the alignment direction Y1, which is the third direction of the display region E, and a fourth region of the second portion 108b other than the third region 108b1. 108b2, and the width w1 of the third region 108b1 is narrower than the width w2 of the fourth region 108b2.
According to this configuration, by making the width w2 of the third region 108b1 narrower than the width w2 of the fourth region 108b2, the distance between the third portion 108c and the display region E is widened. and the display area E, the width of the peripheral area F does not widen, and the substrate size of the liquid crystal device 100 does not increase.

The liquid crystal device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a pixel electrode 9a as a first electrode and a counter electrode 21 as a second electrode, which are provided in a display region E and to which a potential for driving liquid crystal molecules 50a constituting the liquid crystal is applied. , a first portion provided in the peripheral region F outside the display region E and corresponding to a side extending along the X-axis direction of the +X direction, which is the first direction, and a second direction intersecting the first direction and a third electrode having a second portion corresponding to the side extending along the +Y direction, and the liquid crystal molecules 50a, when no potential is applied to the pixel electrode 9a and the counter electrode 21, the third electrode It is oriented along the orientation direction Y1, which is the third direction that intersects the first direction and the second direction. A space s1 between the first region 108a1 and the display region E along the line is wider than a space s2 between the display region E and a second region 108a2 other than the first region 108a1 in the first portion 108a.

According to this configuration, since the space s1 between the first region 108a1 of the first portion 108a and the display region E is wider than the space s2 between the second region 108a2 of the first portion 108a and the display region E, the display region E The influence of the electric fields D1a and D2a generated in the third portion 108c of the third electrode 108 is weakened at the corners C1 and C2. Therefore, the ionic impurities v are less likely to be attracted to the corners C1 and C2 of the display area E. FIG.

Furthermore, when the current is turned off, the ionic impurities v trapped in the third portion 108c of the third electrode 108 begin to diffuse due to the disappearance of the electric fields D1a and D2a. Since the space between the display region E and the display region E is wide, the ionic impurities v first diffuse into the peripheral region F that is wide between the third portion 108c of the third electrode 108 and the display region E. The amount of ionic impurities v diffused into the display area E can be reduced.
Therefore, it is possible to reduce the re-diffusion of the ionic impurities v into the display region E when the power supply is turned off. Therefore, it is possible to provide the liquid crystal device 100 capable of suppressing deterioration of display characteristics.

In the liquid crystal device 100, the boundary B1 on the display area side between the first area 108a1 and the second area 108a2 in the first portion 108a of the third electrode 108 is the first side of the display area E outside the display area E. It is located in the area F2 where the long side and the second extended line h2 extending from the short side, which is the second side of the display area intersecting the first side, are in contact with each other.

According to this configuration, since the boundary B1 is not located in the region F1 in contact with the first extension line h1 and the second extension line h2 in the peripheral region F, the length of the first region 108a1 of the first portion 108a is increased. can do. That is, in the first portion 108a of the third electrode 108, a long length of the first region 108a1 can be ensured. Therefore, the amount of ionic impurities v trapped in the third portion 108c can be reduced, and the amount of ionic impurities v diffusing from the third portion 108c into the display region E can also be reduced when the power supply is turned off. can.

Further, in the liquid crystal device 100, the second portion 108b of the third electrode 108 includes the third region 108b1 along the corner C1 in the alignment direction Y1, which is the third direction of the display region E, and the third portion 108b of the second portion 108b. and a fourth region 108b2 other than the region 108b1, and in the second portion 108b, the space s1 between the third region 108b1 and the display region E is wider than the space s2 between the fourth region 108b2 and the display region E. .

According to this configuration, since the space s1 between the third region 108b1 of the second portion 108b and the display region E is wider than the space s2 between the fourth region 108b2 of the second portion 108b and the display region E, the display region E The influence of the electric fields D1a and D2a generated in the third portion 108c of the third electrode 108 is weakened at the corners C1 and C2. Therefore, the ionic impurities v are less likely to be attracted to the corners C1 and C2 of the display area E. FIG.

In addition, a boundary B2 on the display area E side between the third area 108b1 and the fourth area 108b2 in the second portion 108b of the third electrode 108 is outside the display area E, and the long side which is the first side of the display area E and the short side, which is the second side of the display area E, is located in the area F3.
According to this configuration, since the boundary B2 is not located in the region F1 in contact with the first extension line h1 and the second extension line h2 in the peripheral region F, the length of the third region 108b1 of the second portion 108b is increased. can be secured. That is, a long length of the third portion 108c of the third electrode 108 can be ensured. Therefore, the amount of ionic impurities v trapped in the third portion 108c can be reduced, and the amount of ionic impurities v diffusing from the third portion 108c into the display region E can also be reduced when the power supply is turned off. can.

The liquid crystal device 100 includes a parting portion 24 as a light shielding layer provided outside the display area E and overlapping the third electrode 108 in plan view.

2. Embodiment 2
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the liquid crystal device viewed from the counter substrate side.
In the liquid crystal device 200 of this embodiment, of the four corners of the third electrode 208, which is an ion trap electrode, only the portions corresponding to the corners C1 and C2 of the display area E are notched, and the corners C3 and C4 are cut. It differs from the third electrode 108 of the first embodiment in that the corresponding portion is not cut out. In addition, in the following description, the same code|symbol is used for the structure same as Embodiment 1, and the overlapping description is abbreviate|omitted.

According to the liquid crystal device 200 of this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects of the first embodiment.
In the liquid crystal device 200, the third electrode 208 has sides along corners C3 and C4 of the display region E corresponding to directions intersecting the alignment directions Y1 and Y2 of the liquid crystal layer 50 when no drive voltage is applied to the pixels P. , not cut out.

According to this configuration, the corners C3 and C4 of the display area E are strongly affected by the electric field from the third electrode 208, similarly to the comparative example described above. It can certainly be attracted to and captured by the third electrode 208 . Therefore, the occurrence of stains and unevenness at the corners C3 and C4 of the display area E can be reliably suppressed.

3. Embodiment 3
FIG. 8 is a plan view of the liquid crystal device viewed from the counter substrate side.
In the liquid crystal device 300 of this embodiment, the ion trap electrode is divided into a third electrode 308a, a fourth electrode 308b, a fifth electrode 308c, and a sixth electrode 308d. It is different from the third electrode 208 of form 2. In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for the same configurations as in the first and second embodiments, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

The third electrode 308a, the fourth electrode 308b, the fifth electrode 308c, and the sixth electrode 308d are each provided in a rectangular shape in plan view. The short side M1 of the third electrode 308a is located in the peripheral region F2, and the short side M2 of the fourth electrode 308b is located in the peripheral region F3. , is not located in the peripheral region F1. Similarly, none of the short sides of the third electrode 308a, the fourth electrode 308b, the fifth electrode 308c, and the sixth electrode 308d are located in the four corners of the peripheral region F corresponding to the peripheral region F1. That is, the third electrode 308a is provided so as not to overlap the second extension line h2, and the fourth electrode 308b is provided so as not to overlap the first extension line h1.

The third electrode 308a and the fourth electrode 308b are connected to the same external terminal 104 and supplied with the same polarity DC potential. The fifth electrode 308c and the sixth electrode 308d are connected to the same external terminal 104 and are supplied with the same polarity DC potential.

By applying DC potentials of the same polarity to the third electrode 308a and the fourth electrode 308b arranged so as to sandwich the corner C1 of the display region E corresponding to the alignment direction Y1, the third electrode 308a and the fourth electrode 308b are aligned. The effect of suppressing stains and unevenness can be enhanced as compared with applying DC potentials of different polarities to the electrode 308b. Similarly, by applying DC potentials of the same polarity to the fifth electrode 308c and the sixth electrode 308d arranged to sandwich the corner C2 of the display region E corresponding to the alignment direction Y2, DC potentials of different polarities are applied. It is possible to enhance the effect of suppressing stains and unevenness compared to applying a high voltage.

As for the ionic impurities contained in the liquid crystal layer 50, the negative ionic impurities and the positive ionic impurities do not exist at the same concentration, but the concentration of the ionic impurities of one of the polarities is different. considered to be high. For example, negative ionic impurities may dissolve from the sealing material 60 into the liquid crystal layer 50, increasing the concentration of the negative ionic impurities.

In this case, by applying the same positive DC potential to the third electrode 308a and the fourth electrode 308b, the negative ionic impurities in the liquid crystal layer 50 are efficiently removed from the third electrode 308a and the fourth electrode 308b. can be attracted to and captured. Therefore, the effect of suppressing stains and unevenness can be enhanced.

On the other hand, when a positive direct current potential is applied to the third electrode 308a and a negative direct current potential is applied to the fourth electrode 308b, only one of the ion trap electrodes attracts negative ionic impurities. The amount of negatively charged ionic impurities is reduced. Therefore, the effect of suppressing stains and unevenness is reduced. Furthermore, the electric field of the fourth electrode 308b to which a positive direct-current potential is applied pushes the negative ionic impurities into the display area E, causing stains and unevenness.

The polarities of the DC potentials supplied to the third electrode 308a and the fourth electrode 308b, the fifth electrode 308c and the sixth electrode 308d are changed, and the third electrode 308a and the fourth electrode 308b and the fifth electrode By switching the polarities of the DC potentials applied to 308c and the sixth electrode 308d, the occurrence of image sticking can be suppressed.

According to the liquid crystal device 300 of this embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first and second embodiments, the following effects can be obtained.
The liquid crystal device 300 according to the present embodiment is provided in a display region E, and includes pixel electrodes 9a as first electrodes to which a potential for driving liquid crystal molecules 50a constituting the liquid crystal is applied, and a counter electrode 21 as a second electrode. and a third electrode 308a provided along the long side, which is the first side of the display region E, in the peripheral region F, which is the region outside the display region E, and the peripheral region F, which is the region outside the display region E and a fourth electrode 308b provided along the short side as the second side of the display region E intersecting the long side as the first side, and the liquid crystal molecules 50a are provided along the pixel electrode 9a as the first electrode. And when no potential is applied to the counter electrode 21 as the second electrode, the +X direction is the first direction in which the long side as the first side extends and the second direction in which the short side as the second side extends. The corner C1 of the display area E, which is aligned along the alignment direction Y1 as the third direction intersecting the +Y direction as the direction and sandwiched between the first side and the second side, is the third direction in the display area E. , the third electrode 308a is provided so as not to overlap the second extension line h2 extending from the second side, and the fourth electrode 308b is provided so as not to overlap the second extension line h2 extending from the first side. It is provided so as not to overlap with the extending first extension line h1.

According to this configuration, the third electrode 308a is provided so as not to overlap the second extension line h2 extending from the short side, which is the second side, and the fourth electrode 308b, which is the fourth electrode, is provided on the first side. is provided so as not to overlap with the first extension line h1 extending from the long side.
That is, since there is no ion trap electrode in the peripheral region F1, an electric field that attracts the ionic impurities to the peripheral region F1 is not generated at the corner C1 of the display region E, so that the ionic impurities are less likely to be attracted to the peripheral region F1. .

Furthermore, when the energization is turned off, the ionic impurities trapped in the third electrode 308a and the fourth electrode 308b diffuse due to the disappearance of the electric field, but there is no ionic impurity re-diffusing from the peripheral region F1. , the amount of ionic impurities diffused into the corner C1 of the display area E can be reduced.
Therefore, re-diffusion of the ionic impurities into the display region E when the power supply is turned off can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to provide the liquid crystal device 300 capable of suppressing deterioration of display characteristics.

4. Embodiment 4
4.1. Overview of Electronic Apparatus FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the configuration of a projection display apparatus as an electronic apparatus according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, an electronic device including the liquid crystal device 100 as the liquid crystal device described above will be described by taking a projection display device 1000 as an example.

As shown in FIG. 9, a projection display device 1000 as an electronic device of this embodiment includes a lamp unit 1001 as a light source, dichroic mirrors 1011 and 1012 as a color separation optical system, and three liquid crystal devices as liquid crystal panels. 100B, 100G, 100R, three reflecting mirrors 1111, 1112, 1113, three relay lenses 1121, 1122, 1123, a dichroic prism 1130 as a color synthesis optical system, and a projection lens 1140 as a projection optical system. .

The lamp unit 1001 employs, for example, a discharge-type light source. The light source system is not limited to this, and solid-state light sources such as light-emitting diodes and lasers may be employed.

Light emitted from the lamp unit 1001 is separated by two dichroic mirrors 1011 and 1012 into three color lights of different wavelength ranges. The three colors of light are approximately red light, approximately green light, and approximately blue light. In the following description, the substantially red light is also referred to as red light R, the substantially green light is also referred to as green light G, and the substantially blue light is also referred to as blue light B.

The dichroic mirror 1011 transmits red light R and reflects green light G and blue light B, which have shorter wavelengths than red light R. The red light R transmitted through the dichroic mirror 1011 is reflected by the reflecting mirror 1111 and enters the liquid crystal device 100R. The green light G reflected by the dichroic mirror 1011 is reflected by the dichroic mirror 1012 and then enters the liquid crystal device 100G. Blue light B reflected by dichroic mirror 1011 is transmitted through dichroic mirror 1012 and emitted to relay lens system 1120 .

The relay lens system 1120 has relay lenses 1121 , 1122 and 1123 and reflecting mirrors 1112 and 1113 . Since the blue light B has a longer optical path than the green light G and the red light R, the luminous flux tends to increase. Therefore, the relay lens 1122 is used to suppress the expansion of the luminous flux. The blue light B incident on the relay lens system 1120 is reflected by the reflecting mirror 1112 and converged near the relay lens 1122 by the relay lens 1121 . Blue light B then passes through reflecting mirror 1113 and relay lens 1123 and enters liquid crystal device 100B.

The liquid crystal device 100 according to the first embodiment is applied to the liquid crystal devices 100R, 100G, and 100B, which are light modulators in the projection display device 1000. FIG. Further, the liquid crystal device 200 or the liquid crystal device 300 according to the second or third embodiment may be applied to the liquid crystal devices 100R, 100G, and 100B, which are optical modulators.

Each of the liquid crystal devices 100R, 100G, and 100B is electrically connected to the upper circuit of the projection display device 1000. FIG. As a result, image signals specifying the gradation levels of red light R, green light G, and blue light B are respectively supplied from the external circuit and processed by the upper circuit. This drives the liquid crystal devices 100R, 100G, and 100B to modulate the respective colored lights.

Red light R, green light G, and blue light B modulated by liquid crystal devices 100R, 100G, and 100B enter dichroic prism 1130 from three directions. The dichroic prism 1130 synthesizes the incident red light R, green light G, and blue light B. FIG. In dichroic prism 1130, red light R and blue light B are reflected at 90 degrees, and green light G is transmitted. Therefore, the red light R, the green light G, and the blue light B are synthesized as display light for displaying a color image and emitted toward the projection lens 1140 .

The projection lens 1140 is arranged to face the outside of the projection display device 1000 . The display light is magnified and emitted through the projection lens 1140 and projected onto the screen 1200 which is the projection target.

In the present embodiment, the projection display device 1000 is exemplified as an electronic device, but the electronic device to which the liquid crystal device 100 is applied is not limited to this. For example, it may be applied to electronic devices such as HUDs (Head-Up Displays), HMDs (Head Mounted Displays), personal computers, digital cameras, and liquid crystal televisions.

As described above, according to the projection display device 1000 of this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects of the above embodiments.
A projection display device 1000 as an electronic device preferably includes the liquid crystal devices 100, 200, and 300 according to the above embodiments.

According to this configuration, it is possible to provide an excellent electronic device that employs the liquid crystal device 100 capable of suppressing deterioration of display characteristics due to generation of spots and unevenness.
In the above embodiment, the liquid crystal device 100 as a liquid crystal device is a transmissive liquid crystal device. good too.

In the above embodiment, a DC potential is applied to the third electrode 108, 208, 308a, the fourth electrode 308b, the fifth electrode 308c, and the sixth electrode 308d, which are ion trap electrodes. The polarity may be changed periodically.

Further, in the above embodiment, the light L to the liquid crystal device 100 is incident from the counter substrate 20 side, but may be configured to be incident from the element substrate 10 side. Further, an optical compensating element such as a retardation plate may be provided on the incident side or exit side of the light L. FIG.

Further, in the above embodiment, a microlens corresponding to the pixel electrode 9a on a one-to-one basis may be provided between the counter electrode 21 of the counter substrate 20 and the substrate 20w.
Further, in the above embodiment, microlenses may be provided between the pixel electrodes 9a of the element substrate 10 and the substrate 10w so as to correspond to the pixel electrodes 9a on a one-to-one basis.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the counter electrode 21 is arranged on the counter substrate 20 side, but the position where the counter electrode 21 is arranged is not limited to this. For example, it may be arranged between the pixel electrode 9a and the substrate 10w.

9a... Pixel electrode 10... Element substrate 18... First alignment layer 18a... Column 20... Counter substrate 21... Counter electrode 22... Second alignment layer 22a... Column 24... Parting part 50... Liquid crystal Layer 50a Liquid crystal molecules 60 Sealing material 100, 200, 300, 500 Liquid crystal device 104 External terminal 108, 208, 308a Third electrode 308b Fourth electrode 308c Fifth electrode 308d...sixth electrode 108a...first portion 108a1...first region 108a2...second region 108b...second portion 108b1...third region 108b2...fourth region 108c...third portion 109... Peripheral electrode 109a corner 1000 projection display device B1, B2 boundary C1, C2, C3 corner D1a, D1b, D1c electric field E display area F, F1, F2, F3 Peripheral region G1a, G2a Electric field M1, M2 Short side Y1, Y2 Alignment direction h1 First extension line h2 Second extension line s1, s2 Spacing w1, w2 Width.

Claims (11)

a first electrode and a second electrode provided in the display region and to which a potential for driving the liquid crystal is applied;
a third electrode provided outside the display area and having a first portion extending along a first direction and a second portion extending along a second direction crossing the first direction; , and
the liquid crystal is aligned along a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction when no potential is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode;
the display area side of the third electrode is cut in an intersection area between the first portion and the second portion;
A liquid crystal device characterized by: the first portion has a first region along a corner in the third direction of the display region; and a second region of the first portion other than the first region;
The width of the first region is narrower than the width of the second region,
The liquid crystal device according to claim 1. the second portion has a third region along a corner in the third direction of the display region; and a fourth region of the second portion other than the third region;
The width of the third region is narrower than the width of the fourth region,
The liquid crystal device according to claim 1. a first electrode and a second electrode provided in the display region and to which a potential for driving the liquid crystal is applied;
a third electrode provided outside the display area and having a first portion extending along a first direction and a second portion extending along a second direction crossing the first direction; , and
the liquid crystal is aligned along a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction when no potential is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode;
Among the first portions, the distance between the display areas and the first areas along the corners of the display areas in the third direction is the distance between the second areas other than the first areas and the display areas of the first parts. A liquid crystal device characterized by being wider than the distance from the display area. a boundary on the display area side between the first area and the second area in the first portion,
Outside the display area, located in an area in contact with a first side of the display area and a second extension line extending from a second side of the display area intersecting the first side,
4. The liquid crystal device according to claim 2 or 3. the second portion has a third region along a corner in the third direction of the display region; and a fourth region of the second portion other than the third region;
In the second part, the distance between the third area and the display area is wider than the distance between the fourth area and the display area,
6. The liquid crystal device according to claim 4 or 5. a boundary on the display area side between the third area and the fourth area in the second portion,
Outside the display area, located in an area in contact with a first extension line extending from a first side of the display area and a second side of the display area,
7. The liquid crystal device according to claim 6. In the third electrode, a corner side of the display area in a direction intersecting the third direction is not notched,
8. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1. a first electrode and a second electrode provided in the display region and to which a potential for driving the liquid crystal is applied;
a third electrode provided along a first side of the display region in a region outside the display region;
a fourth electrode provided along a second side of the display region intersecting the first side in a region outside the display region;
When no potential is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode, the liquid crystal is arranged in a direction intersecting the first direction in which the first side extends and the second direction in which the second side extends. oriented along three directions,
When a corner portion of the display region sandwiched between the first side and the second side is a corner portion in the third direction in the display region,
The third electrode is provided so as not to overlap a second extension line extending from the second side, and the fourth electrode is provided so as not to overlap a first extension line extending from the first side. is being
A liquid crystal device characterized by: Further comprising a light shielding layer provided outside the display area and overlapping the third electrode in plan view,
10. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1. An electronic device comprising the liquid crystal device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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